Turkey & Spinach Roll-ups

I ended up making dinner for my family tonight. My mom was gone for the weekend with my sister and my other sister and I decided to take care of dinner for her. I totally forgot to take a picture, but here is the picture from Clean Eating magazine's website. Tasty and totally worth the time!

Ingredients:

1 tsp EVOO

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 lb ground turkey

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes with juice

1 tsp salt

8 pieces whole wheat lasagna

1 10 oz bag frozen spinach, thawed

1 15 oz tub of ricotta cheese

1 egg

3/4 c grated reduced-fat mozzarella

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute. Turn heat to medium-high and add ground turkey, breaking it up with a spatula until meat shows no sign of pink. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg, then add tomatoes and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir, cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring and breaking up tomatoes with a wooden spoon.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, rinse and allow to cool in a colander.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Squeeze all remaining moisture from thawed spinach and place in large bowl. Add ricotta cheese, egg and a 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese to bowl. Stir until combined.

Spread 1 cup of cooked tomato sauce into bottom of a 9" x 10" casserole dish. Lay a cooked lasagna noodle flat in front of you. Use your fingers to spread 1/8 of ricotta mixture across the noodle and roll it up. Place the rolled pasta seam side down, into the casserole dish. Repeat with remaining noodles. Spread remaining tomato sauce over roll-ups, then top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes. Remove foil and broil for 5 minutes or until the rollups are browned and bubbly.

Turkey Meatloaf & Turnip-Cauliflower Mash

Delicious! The only other meatloaf that I have ever really liked was a cheeseburger meatloaf, but this was YUMMY! We also really liked the Turnip-Cauliflower Mash. I was a little worried about that because I've made cauliflower mashed "potatoes" before and they weren't very good. This mash had the same texture as potatoes and it was SO filling! We will definitely make it again!

Ingredients (for meatloaf & mash):

1 lb. ground turkey

1 c. onion, diced

3/4 c. natural oatmeal

1/2 c. carrots, grated

2 egg whites, whisked

2 tsp Italian seasoning, divided

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 6 oz can tomato paste

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (I would use 1, maybe 1 1/2 next time)

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp agave nectar

1 head cauliflower, leaves removed and cut into pieces

2 turnips, skin removed and cut into pieces

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp dried basil

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a med. bowl, mix turkey, onion, oatmeal, carrots, egg whites, 1 tsp Italian seasonings and cayenne. Place mix in a 9-inch loaf pan (I just shaped in a loaf).

In another med. bowl, whisk together tomato paste, vinegar, garlic, 1 tsp Italian seasoning and agave. Spread sauce over meatloaf. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.

Place turnips in a pan with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 20 minutes. Steam Cauliflower for 15 minutes in a steam cooker or steamer over a pot filled with 2 inches of water over med-high heat.

In a large bowl, mash together cauliflower, turnips, oil, basil, salt and pepper (I added a little bit of minced garlic to this too). We actually just stuck everything in the blender and pulsed for a bit.

This recipe came from Clean Eating Magazine, July/August 2009. Love this Mag!

Hamburger Rolls

Sorry this picture isn't the best, but we definitely had another winner tonight. This one is also from the Budge Family Recipe Book. I think that next time I make this I might make the balls bigger. Eli enjoyed them, but said they weren't too filling. That could be because he only got two. We had company. I'm pretty sure this would've been enough for just the two of us though. Good Stuff! Thank you Barbara!

Hamburger Rolls

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef (I used turkey)

1/2 c canned milk (low fat)

1 TBSP catsup

1 TBSP mustard

1 TBSP Worcestershire sauce

onion salt (I was out and used garlic salt)

Schilling hamburger seasoning (I couldn't find, so I used Lawry's season salt)

Salt & pepper

1 package Stove Top Stuffing

1 can Golden Mushroom Soup (undiluted)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 8 items. Divide into 6 portions. Shape each portion into a circle about the size of your hand. Prepare stuffing mix according to the package directions. Place a large spoonful of stuffing in each patty and roll up and seal. Cover each roll with the Golden Mushroom Soup. Add grated cheese if desired. Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes.

*This stuff is really gross looking when you first mix the ingredients. Eli tells me it looks like meatloaf. That made me feel a little better. Either way, be ye warned!

Ground Beef Stroganoff

This recipe came from the Budge Family Recipe Book, submitted by Barbara Howell. I believe she is a great aunt, but you should still feel privileged to be given this recipe. You know, being a family heirloom practically. Eli and I both loved it. I did make a few changes though. I used a lot of low-fat or lite ingredients. Oh! I also made it with ground turkey instead. Like I said, delicious!

Ground Beef (or turkey) Stroganoff

Ingredients:

1/2 c chopped onion

1 small clove garlic, minced

1 TBSP butter or margarine

1 LB ground beef (or turkey)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp monosodium glutamate (I used Accent)

1/4 tsp paprika

1 c sliced mushrooms (I skipped this one)

1 can cream of mushroom soup (the healthy request)

1 c sour cream (fat-free)

cooked rice or noodles (I used egg noodles)

Directions:

Saute onions and garlic in the butter in a hot skillet. Stir in meat, flour, and seasonings, and saute about 5 minutes or until meat is cooked. Add mushrooms, then soup. Simmer about 10 minutes. Stir in the sour cream and heat, but do not boil. Add a little milk if needed (mine was really thick, so I added a little milk straight from the jug until it looked like the consistency I wanted). Season to taste. Serve on hot rice or noodles.

Red Beans and Rice

I tried this recipe a few years ago and kind of forgot about it until now. I forgot how easy and yummy it was! It was one of the recipes on the Discovery Health National Body Challenge. Sorry about this picture. As you read the ingredients you'll see that there's a few things different. First, I couldn't find a green bell pepper. Second, I forgot to add the beans. I was in a total hurry and forgot, but I did add them later. Still yummy!

Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients:
1/2 c red kidney beans
2 oz turkey keilbasa (or sausage)
1/2 c fresh or frozen bell peppers and onions
1/2 c diced tomatoes ( I use fresh, but you can use canned)
1 tsp oregano
1 c cooked brown rice

Directions:
Prepare rice according to package. If it isn't instant rice, prepare beforehand. You can also use white rice if you'd like instead.

Heat pan over medium heat. Cut keilbasa into 1" slices and heat in pan until browned on edges.

Once keilbasa is cooked, add drained kidney beans, vegetables, and tomatoes. Add oregano.

After cooked and heated through, serve over rice and enjoy!

*FYI* This is enough for one person. If you want to serve two, double everything! It's really filling and yummy and totally good for you!

Three-Bean Turkey Chili

I really enjoy slow cooker meals. They usually take very little hands-on time, and I love the feeling of a meal just cooking itself. This recipe is another good one for the slow cooker.

Three-Bean Turkey Chili
Ingredients:
1 lb ground turkey
1 small onion, diced
1 can (28 oz) petite diced tomatoes, juice included
1 can (15 oz) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
1 to 2 T. chili powder

Directions:
Brown turkey with onions in a skillet on medium-high heat. Cook until onions are tender and turkey is no longer pink. Drain the fat. Pour into slow cooker. Prepare to make use of your can opener. ;) Pour all three cans of beans into a colander and rinse well. Add beans, and all remaining ingredients to the slow cooker. Mix well. Cover and cook on high for 6-8 hours.


There are a few things I especially liked about this recipe. Using ground turkey instead of beef was a nice change of pace (although beef would work just as well). I've never used garbanzo beans before, and Paul and I both decided they were very yummy. And, like I said, it was a very easy recipe. You can serve it over rice (that's how Paul likes his chili), with cornbread, or on its own. We sprinkled cheese on top, and we also would have added a dollop of sour cream, but we didn't have any (shocker!). Good stuff!

Ground Turkey Patties & Twice Baked Potato Bites

This dinner turned out a lot better than I expected. Eli really enjoyed it! The original recipe calls for ground pork, but I like turkey a lot more. It's a little more lean than pork. I would definitely take any extra sauce and slather the patties with it, but that's just me. I really liked it. Also, start the potatoes first. While the potatoes are cooking prepare everything else, but don't start cooking the patties until you bake the potatoes the second time. Enjoy!

Ground Turkey Patties

Ingredients:
12 oz. lean ground turkey
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 tsp seasoned salt (LAWRY'S)
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 c apple juice
1 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp dried sage, crushed
3 c shredded lettuce (garnish & salad)
roma tomatoes

Directions:
In a bowl combine turkey, green onions, seasoned salt, and apper. Shape meat mixture into four 1/2 inch patties. In a large skillet cook patties over medium heat for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for 5 minutes more. Pour off any drippings.

Meanwhile, for sauce, in a small saucepan combine apple juice, brown sugar, cornstarch, and sage. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Turn patties again; brush with some of the sauce. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes more or until done.

To seve, divide shredded lettuce among plates. Add a patty to each plate. Top each with more sauce. Garnish with tomato slices.

Twice Baked Potato Bites (Chef Britta)

Ingredients:
10-14 red new potatoes (small), halved
1 TBSP olive oil
3/4 c sour cream
1/4 c snipped fresh chives, plus more for garnish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut a thin slice off the bottom of each potato half so they rest flat.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss with olive oil; season with salt and pepper, and arrange bottom side down.

Bake until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool on sheet.

When cool enough, using a melon baller, scoop out about a teaspoon from the center of each potato and place in a bowl.Add sour cream and chives to the bowl with potato centers and mash; season with salt and pepper.Stuff potatoes with filling.

Bake potatoes at 450 until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Bell Pepper Turkey Burger

I got this recipe from my friend's blog. She's a great chef! You can find more amazing stuff here. Her recipe calls for ground chicken, but I couldn't find any so I used ground turkey. I also used regular colby jack cheese because it's my favorite! I would suggest chopping everything first. Use lots of napkins because you will drool. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 orange bell pepper, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 pound ground turkey

4 whole grain wheat hamburger buns

colby jack cheese, sliced

lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise for serving

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl; cool to room temperature (reserve skillet).

Add turkey to cooled vegetable mixture in bowl; season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix to combine. Shape mixture into 4 patties.

(Now would be a good time to throw some fries in the oven, if serving).In reserved skillet, heat remaining tablespoon oil over medium; cook patties until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes per side. After first side has browned and you have flipped burgers, add cheese, so that it has sufficient time to melt.Place turkey burgers on buns and top with tomato, lettuce, and mayonnaise.